South Korean soldiers practice ballet to relax after guarding the world's deadliest border

Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters The US military might have fewer problems with stress and substance abuse if it borrowed some wisdom from South Korea.

For the last year, the country has been running a program that gives a group of roughly 15 soldiers a chance to find inner peace through a weekly ballet class.

The young men, many of them in their early 20s, work in the heavily-fortified Demilitarized Zone near the border of North and South Korea.

By putting on thin, padded shoes and learning the graceful art, they forge deeper relationships with one another and ease their minds after dealing with turmoil.

Here's what a typical class looks like.

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In the town of Paju, South Korea, soldiers live full-time at Camp Bonifas. It's located directly on the border of North Korea.

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In their free time, soldiers goof around and watch trashy television.

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But they also take ballet, a delicate, calming art form that prizes the exact opposite of rugged, gritty warfare.

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That may be why the class serves such a need. "There's a lot of tension here since we live in the unit on the front line, which makes me feel insecure at times," Kim Joo-hyeok, a 23-year-old sergeant, told Reuters.

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So they don slippers, and they dance.

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Each class is made up of members of the Army's 25th division, the group tasked with guarding the border. Some are experienced soldiers, but others, due to the country's mandatory service policy, are younger soldiers trying ballet for the first time.

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The classes are taught by a member of the Korean National Ballet who visits the base once a week. She helps the men stay flexible, despite how painful a plié may be.

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"As the soldiers learn ballet little by little, they laugh more and have a great time and seeing that makes me think that coming here is worthwhile," said ballerina Lee Hyang-jo.

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On the battlefield, the men are tough. But in the studio, she may be tougher.

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Lieutenant Colonel Heo Tae-sun says the experience may seem silly at first, but after some stretching and straining, the men are quickly humbled.

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"Ballet requires a great amount of physical strength and is very good for strengthening muscle, increasing flexibility, and correcting posture," Heo said.

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Many of the soldiers find the classes don't just help them relax personally, but create stronger friendships among the group as a whole. When you're all wearing slippers, it's hard not to bond.

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The group has already put on one production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake," Reuters reports. More could be scheduled for the future.

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In the meantime, the class will continue boosting soldier morale — even if it's through gritted teeth and sweaty stretches.

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It could be the only way to make a life of uncertainty and peril not just tolerable, but joyful.